Shawl of Sabina with Artemis, Apollo and Daphne, Bellerophon and Chimera

The shawl is preserved in a number of fragments, which have been mounted in their original order. They were found in the tomb of a woman called Sabina. Although much damaged, the overall dimensions of the shawl are known, and the arrangement of the decoration is clear. The portion shown here represents just over half of the original, which had four corner friezes (gammadae), four panels, and a single center medallion surrounded by a field of smaller patterns.

The corner friezes depict children in a Nilotic landscape. Constructed as a sequence of vignettes, both exhibited friezes present the same scenes. In the horizontal arms the compositions are mirror images of each other. The small scenes scattered in the field are related to the corner friezes but are more varied: children with animals, putti, animals, a centaur, and flowers.

Of principal interest are the two panels and the center medallion. The upper left panel represents Artemis, the huntress. She stands in a neutral space articulated only by a ground plane and a few plants scattered at various levels. To the left a dog prances. To the right lies a fallen beast, probably a lion, on whose head Artemis steps. Although the beast is dead, Artemis draws an arrow from her quiver. Perhaps the scene is drawn from a larger model in which other animals also figured. Equally likely is that Artemis drawing an arrow was a stock image used by artists even when not altogether appropriate.

The subject matter of the right-hand panel has been disputed. The nude male figure on the left is certainly Apollo, identified by his lyre. To the right is a nude woman in a tree. While Apollo draws an arrow from his quiver the woman holds out to him a cruciform flower or plant. The most likely interpretation is that the scene depicts Apollo and Daphne. This is strengthened by comparison with an ivory plaque from Syria or Egypt now in Ravenna (fig. 16). Here, too, the composition is not appropriate to the event. The probable interpretation of these panels is that the classical theme has gradually lost its meaning and the juxtaposition of isolated elements from different contexts is deemed sufficient for the expression of the narrative.

The central medallion is surrounded by a Nilotic frieze similar to the corner friezes. The central scene depicts Bellerophon restraining his rearing winged horse, Pegasus, above the body of the Chimera, a three-headed (lion, goat, snake) monster. Again the composition makes little sense. Bellerophon and Pegasus seem to be derived from a classical type originally used for the Dioscuri. The Coptic artist has actually conflated two events in Bellerophon's career, the taming of Pegasus and the victory over the Chimera (nos. 143, 144).

This shawl is an impressive example of the funerary textiles used by the Copts in late antiquity. Although a Christian community in Egypt, the Copts drew extensively on classical mythology to decorate a variety of textiles. Not all, however, are as free in their interpretation of the classical models. Classical iconography remained popular until the Islamic conquest of Egypt in 640. Bibliography: Peirce and Tyler, 1932, I, nos. 156-157; Essen, 1963, no. 329.